STOP TRYING TO LOOK AT…
An autobiographical black comedy about grief, vulnerability and mental health.
Not one to shy away when it comes to difficult and demanding roles Jacob was inspired to write his profound new work, ‘Stop Trying To Look At…’ which is an autobiographical black comedy about grief, vulnerability and mental health which premiered at the Golden Goose Theatre Camberwell and Sold Out earlier this year.
Through anecdotes and rap music, Jacob tells the story of the sudden death of his Jewish father when he was a child and a peripatetic childhood through Scotland and Essex as he and his mother struggled to keep afloat. Exploring challenges and encounters with drugs and mental darkness as an adult student. As much as this performance is a reflection of his life, he believes it taps into the wider human experience
Written and Performed by Jacob Grunberger
Directed by Noel Wallace
Running time: Approx 60 minutes
Ages Guidance: Ages 14 and above
Contains flashing lights, bad language and themes of sex, drugs and death.
“Grunberger’s blends self-mocking humour and excellent comic timing (especially when invoking the punch-line that is the play’s provocative title!) with strong elements of physical theatre that provides consistent interest and narrative drive through the various episodes. There is a particularly powerful rap routine with an inwardness that is rare in that genre, and a graphic honesty in the writing about drug experimentation and the brittle fragility of relationships that is always under strong technical control. […] Grunberger has stage presence, charm and pathos in abundance, with a rare ability to shift the mood on a sixpence. ” – Plays To See – 
